Oxfordshire Wildlife Rescue hospital in Didcot closes and appeals to public donations after flooding and damage

Oxfordshire wildlife rescue are appealing to the generosity of the public as its hospital closed to serious water damage and flooding.

Due to the nature of the damage to the hospital, there has been a full evacuation of staff and patients from the premises.

The animal charity, who rescues around 3,000 animals a year, is now calling to anyone who has access to a warehouse, barn, or hard standing land away on private land.

Charity head Luke Waclawek said: "The drainage just flooded the hospital, it concentrated water into the hospital.

"The company that was supposed to sort it all out for us, made it worse."

Mr Waclawek added: "The animals are fine, they were promptly evacuated in we are in discussions to move the entire population hopefully to a warehouse.

"Our priority is the animals, a lot of them are in intensive care, needing medication critically ill, or youngsters who need constant feeding.

He said: "Its not unusual for us to take in 30 patients a day but now it has stopped.

"The vets are helping but they are limited on capacity.

"The vets aren’t designed to have facilities like we do, that's why we are here."

Mr Waclawek took to Facebook live yesterday (Saturday) to show people the extent of the damage.

"I may require a boat" he said, as he walked through the flooded reception.

"We have evacuated or are starting to evacuate animals out.

"I have not got any other choice but to close this hospital to any further admissions, any further rescues which is a shame.

"The rescue is now shut."

He added: "We have lost electrics, we have lost furniture, we have lost building materials, we have lost pretty much everything we have been working for at the minute."

The team were on site "chugging" water out of the affected area with buckets but say that the animals may have to be sent to other wildlife rescue centres if "no solution can be found."

At the moment, there is no fundraiser in place, as the charity are not yet fully aware of the extent of the damage and how much it will cost.

However, general donations can still be made "in line for the bill" on their website https://oxfordshirewildliferescue.myfreesites.net/